Parliament Must Enact Foreign Agent Registry: Commons Ethics Committee

A Canadian flag hangs from a lamppost along the road in front of the Parliament buildings ahead of Canada Day, in Ottawa on June 30, 2020. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

The Commons ethics committee has tabled an all-party report that in part calls on the federal government to establish a foreign influence registry as soon as possible.

Report 10, “Foreign Interference and the Threats to the Integrity of Democratic Institutions, Intellectual Property and the Canadian State,” was presented to the House of Commons on Oct. 24.

“The creation of a foreign influence registry has been proposed many times in recent years, but no bill has been passed. Several allied countries have established foreign influence registries,” the committee report said.

“Foreign interference activities are often contrary to the values and interests of the targeted country, threatening many sectors in democratic societies. Canada is not immune to foreign interference.”

In preparing the report, the committee said it looked at various aspects of foreign interference, with a certain focus on targets and tactics used by the People’s Republic of China and Russia.

In total, the committee put forward 22 recommendations that it said aimed to improve Canada’s response to foreign interference activities, enhance government transparency in national security matters, and restore Canadians’ trust in democratic institutions.